tag: weatherizing

I'm a huge fan of Building Science teacher Joe Lstiburek and I'm finally building my first house with his "Perfect Wall" concept. Join me as I explain this theory for extreme durability and efficiency (and show off a house I'm building in Austin).

We've all been in this situation... two identical looking products on the shelf, but different prices. Which should I choose? Well, when it comes to housewraps not all are alike, nor will they perform the same. Have a look at this test that will give you an idea how these two white rolls will perform on YOUR house.

There are 4 things every house must control (in order of importance). 1. Water 2. Air 3. Vapor 4. Thermal Codes have only started to address air control and I think many builders in the US are behind in this area.

Build tight, ventilate right. I learned that from building science guru Mark LaLiberte. But what is the right way to ventilate a house in Texas (or anywhere in the hot/humid South)? I'll give you my recommendations for three strategies.

Mark LaLiberte is an amazing building-science teacher. Read my blogging notes from his seminar titled "Building High-Performance Homes Dos & Don'ts," which I attended in Austin, Texas. Remember that this is focused on Texas construction, but there is plenty to learn here for anyone in the U.S.

Flashing a recessed window is tricky, this new product from DuPont Tyvek called Fluid Applied (Liquid Tyvek!) makes the process much simpler. In this jobsite video we will take you through the steps to form a water tight, air tight, and vapor permeable window install.

Despite competitive pressures and the failure of Solyndra, the solar-industry workforce has more than doubled since 2009, the Solar Foundation says in a report titled "U.S. Solar Market Insight: 2nd Quarter 2011," which can be viewed here: http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/SMI-Q2-2011-ES.pdf

Al Cobb's goal is simple: Build better houses and help consumers make better choices. To do that more effectively, he wants to understand the root causes of heat loss a little better. Are air leaks or low insulation levels the real culprit?